TRE — Dallas-Fort Worth

[andrethebusman]

Which 10 TRE RDC's went to A-train? I have 7 numbers - 2001-2004, 2010, 2012, 2013 so am missing 3

[electricron]

Here's an interesting 5 page report on recent TRE corridor upgrades. It's great reading.
http://www.apta.com/mc/rail/previous/20 ... -Costs.pdf
I wished it contained a paragraph or two about future upgrades. Alas, it doesn't.

The most interesting paragraphs in the report, imho, were these:

"The shift from DMU to locomotive hauled equipment provided a major cost savings. In addition to the significantly lower capital cost per seat, the staffing requirements for a train of either type of equipment are similar. Each train requires one train operator and one train attendant. Fuel consumption is equivalent at two gallons per mile.
The savings are realized when the ridership demand exceeds approximately 280 seats on a train. This is the seating capacity of either a two car bi- level consist or a three car RDC set. To provide a seat costs approximately $0.064 per seat mile (one seat traveling one mile).
The expansion west created peak period passenger demands which required the TRE to commence operating consists of three and four bi- levels. These loads greatly exceeded the carrying capacity of the earlier RDC trains. A three car bi- level train costs $0.048 per seat mile to operate. Adding the fourth car to the train decreases the costs to $0.042 per seat mile. In the future, the TRE plans to operate five car trains at a cost estimated to be $0.037 per seat mile."

There's the data that shows RDCs are cheaper to operate up to three RDCs on a train. Of course, this report suggest the opposite is true, that RDCs are more expensive to operate when you have more than three RDCs on a train. Both statements are true.

[The EGE]

It's interesting to take a look at the Brits, who have a lot more DMUs than in the states. Larger capacity there often ends up being EMUs rather than locomotive-hauled, though.

Their DMUs operate in the following configurations:

Class 165: 2 or 3 cars
Class 166: 3 cars
Class 170: 2 or 3 cars
Class 171: 4 cars
Class 172: 2 or 3 cars
Class 180: 5 cars
Class 185: 3 cars

So, with the exception of a handful of longer sets (which it appears mostly run mid-distance service anyway), the 3-car DMU limit seems to be confirmed.

[electricron]

It's not the number of cars specifically, as the number of filled seats, and that number was 280 seats. TRE's RDCs had 92 seats plus a few spaces for wheelchairs. 3 x 94 is approximately 280 seats. I'm not sure how many seats are on British DMU trains. I'm certain that the vehicle dimensions aren't the same. So an equivalent could be 4 DMUs in Britain. It is nice to see British confirmation of the general idea.

[dowlingm]

Irish Rail operate their 22000 class 100mph DMU in 3 car solo, 2 x 3 car or 6 car consists.

[amtrakowitz]

Why no mention of the Virgin Voyager (Class 220, four-car formation) and Super Voyager (Class 221, five-car formation)? Those trains are often coupled together to form eight-car and ten-car trains respectively.

There is also the Meridian Class 222, which has fixed lengths of up to seven cars. Some of this class was delivered as nine-car fixed trains.

Classic British Rail DMUs like the 251/261 class "Blue Pullman" (used on the Midland Pullman) operated in fixed-length trains of between six and eight cars.

[electricron]

Irish Rail operate their 22000 class 100mph DMU in 3 car solo, 2 x 3 car or 6 car consists.

According to Wiki, each 3 car 22000 class set has a seating capacity of 190. Therefore, two three car set seats 380 (effectively 6 cars). This is a topic about the TRE, not Irish Rail, I didn't feel obligated to expand the topic into a discussion about every DMU on Earth.

Each RDC-1 car for the TRE has a seating capacity of 92. Three RDCs seats 286, and six RDC's would seat 562, although I've never seen the TRE put that many RDCs onto a train. The max I've seen was four RDCs on a TRE train which would have 368 seats. If the TRE needed more seating capacity on a train, they would be using their BiLevel fleet. They usually only used the RDC fleet during midday between peaks or evening services after peak.

[The EGE]

Why no mention of the Virgin Voyager (Class 220, four-car formation) and Super Voyager (Class 221, five-car formation)? Those trains are often coupled together to form eight-car and ten-car trains respectively.

There is also the Meridian Class 222, which has fixed lengths of up to seven cars. Some of this class was delivered as nine-car fixed trains.

Classic British Rail DMUs like the 251/261 class "Blue Pullman" (used on the Midland Pullman) operated in fixed-length trains of between six and eight cars.

To be perfectly honest, I didn't happen across them in my very quick search. Thanks for adding!

[dowlingm]

electricron - the IE 22Ks also have a "high density" 6 car consist (not 2 x 3) of 406 seats. http://www.irrs.ie/Journal%20170/170%20 ... 0Class.htm

In any case, returning to this continent, I'm hoping that Sumitomo/Nippon Sharyo will produce a high quality and efficient vehicle for SMART and Metrolinx which will permit a reassessment of the place of DMU in North American railroading, not one more rebuild of a 1950s platform.

[Rockingham Racer]

TRE is about to beef up their service.

http://www.masstransitmag.com/news/1227 ... muter-rail" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[electricron]

This increase in trains is more about using trains being removed from service more so than adding tracks. The TRE train yard is in west Irving, so we should be seeing more trains going half way along the line than before. Therefore, check the train schedules more closely if you're wanting to go the entire way downtown to downtown, there will be more trains than before that won't do that.

[Amtrak7]

TRE has sold 11 RDC's from its fleet. I wonder to whom?

http://www.texasbids.net/government-age ... rdc.-.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
https://suppliers-prod.dart.org/lmproc/ ... rea=lmproc" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Rockingham Racer]

Let me guess: the MBTA. They seem to need more capacity.

[CHTT1]

Maybe to that new Fort Worth to Dallas-Fort Worth airport commuter line

[SemperFidelis]

CHTT1, it would appear that Stadler got the contract to manufacture DMUs for that project:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/TEX_Rail" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I suppose, if they are FRA compliant, the RDCs could be used to fill in or expand service as needed.